Polar Opposite
by Ryouko Akizakura
Summary: It's a day after Karin arrives in Konoha after Sasuke's betrayal. She's feeling pretty bitter about the whole thing, but can the warmth of one particular person bring her out of it? Or will she end up turning to ice? NaruKarin. I do not own Naruto. R&R!


**Author's Note**: Hey everyone! It's xRosyGuren, again. I've had this piece of NaruKarin goodness written down for a long time, and typed for even longer. I've had this done since the part of "Dirty Laundry" called "Viscosity". Anyway, this is my favorite Naruto(Character) pairing in the show. Yes, I know Karin is a stalker chick that no one really likes, but she's pretty damn awesome. Right now, Sasuke is the biggest douchebag in the manga, which really ticks me off. So, I decided to try and vent into Karin, since she feels the same way I do about Sasuke at the moment when I was writing this, which would be a few months ago. This is a one-shot, unfortunately, even though it sounds like it'll be continued. I'm not sure if it will or not, but, I had to upload this. Enjoy. By the way, new chapter of "Dirty Laundry" is coming, plus a new SasuSaku or Grayza one-shot. xD And, I know most of the characters are OOC, like Kakashi and Sakura, and Naruto, but I was trying to focus on Karin and add romance into the story as I went along. And now that I'm writing this note, I'm regretting having Naruto and Hinata end up together in "Dirty Laundry"...

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto. I do not own anything at all. I do not own NaruKarin, Naruto, Karin, the characters or anything at all in this story.

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The day after I arrived at Konoha was hell. They kept asking me questions about my time with the Akatsuki, and about Sasuke, who at the moment I didn't really give a damn about, since he used the Chidori to rip my chest open in order to get at Danzo whom had captured me. By the time they let me go, it was already eight o'clock at night, and the sky was pitch black dark. I knew I couldn't leave the village, but, that wasn't in the game plan.

I hadn't really thought about it, actually. I was still in no condition to walk around, although the pink haired kunoichi named Sakura had healed me pretty well despite the severity of my wound. I had to give her props. For the emotionally unstable state that she had been in when she was healing me, she had done a good job at closing up my chest. I was thoroughly impressed by her skills as a medical ninja, let alone a kunoichi.

But there was one thing that worried me. What happened to Sasuke? Did Madara come and save his black haired ass? Or had the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake, finished him off? These questions weighed down on my heart as I walked through the streets looking for something to eat.

My search led me down the main street, where people stopped and stared. They knew I was the prisoner, captured alive from the Akatsuki and still fresh from fighting their fallen sixth Hokage. I walked down the market street, passing food booths full of friendly faces and smiles, the smells of chicken and rice flooding my nose. _Breaded pork and rice…That's what I'm in the mood for…Again. _I passed by three little kids, one holding a glowing blue orb in his right hand, trying to teach the other two how to make it.

"First you have to focus your chakra, then mold it together into the shape of a sphere." The one holding the orb instructed, his brown hair pointing out from under his Leaf village headband.

I smiled, and walked toward them slowly, cautious. The little girl, the one with pigtails that stuck out on either sides of her head turned toward me, then hid behind the one with the orb, the last one, with the geeky glasses doing the same. I leaned forward, putting my hands on my knees, my red hair falling over my shoulders.

"What jutsu is that? It looked pretty cool." I asked. The orb kid smirked, and smiled brightly, lifting his left thumb to his forehead.

"That was a super awesome jutsu my eternal rival Uzumaki Naruto taught me. It's called the Rasengan." He replied proudly. I smiled, my cherry red eyes brightening. _Naruto, huh? Sounds to me like you're pretty famous. _I nodded once, and stood up straight, looking down at the little boy with just my eyes.

"Do you think you could teach me?" I asked calmly. The little boy and his friends exchanged glances.

"But you're the prisoner they brought into the village not more than a day ago. I can't teach you." He replied. I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"Do I look like I'm in any condition to leave the village? Besides, I don't have anywhere to go, and I like it here." I shot back honestly, giving him a side glance out of the corner of my eye. The little boy nodded, and took my hand in his.

"First, you have to focus your chakra." He instructed, and I closed my eyes, calming myself, being able to feel my chakra rushing through my veins, almost like I had laid my hand on top of the rushing chakra, its current flowing through my blood vessels.

I nodded, and focused harder. I felt shifting beside me, and I assumed it had to be the kids shifting spots to teach me what they were good at. Oh no. Boy was _I_ wrong. I felt someone's chest side bump up against my back, a hand hold mine, an arm wrap around me from my left side, a cheek rest against mine as a chin fell onto my shoulder gently.

"Then, once you've got it focused, you mold your chakra into the shape of a sphere." A gentle, but deep voice continued for the little boy, my left hand coming up under my right, as chakra flowed into my palm, my eyes opening, blue ribbons of breath-like wind weaving together into the form of a small sphere that slowly grew bigger and bigger. My red hair blew in the wind, the sides bumping up against my temples, my eyes wide.

"I…Did it…That's the Rasengan." I murmured. I heard a slight rumble of laughter coming from my right side.

I turned my head to see Naruto, his blue eyes bright and clear, shining in the sunlight like twin stars. I'd never seen anything more beautiful in my life. His smile was so beautiful, almost angelic in its own right, light and airy, happiness radiating from each of his pores, the glow almost as blinding as his chakras.

My mind's eye opened, the pulses of his chakra flow echoing his heartbeats, the warmth flooding over me again, making my face warm up slightly, a soft blush coloring my cheeks. _Whenever you look at me, I feel myself start to warm up..._When I was able to breathe properly again, I saw him nod his head, his eyes shifting to the blue orb I was holding in my right hand, my chakra flowing into it.

"The way you let it go, is you stop focusing your chakra into that one specific point." He replied, nodding once more.

I nodded back, turning back to the Rasengan, closing my eyes, and letting go of my chakra, the "hand" lifting up off of the current of chakra. The Rasengan faded, and Naruto let go of me, much to my disappointment. His three little friends cheered, as Naruto stepped backwards, smiling at me. I looked at him, the wind blowing my red hair to the left side of my face, my ruby eyes wide in wonder.

"Thank you, Naruto-" I started before someone's chakra brushed against the edge of my mind's eye's sight.

It was a familiar source of chakra, strong, yet extremely _pissed_. I looked toward where the disturbance had come from, seeing a pink haired girl that I knew to be Sakura, running toward us, another familiar source of chakra, this one laid back and collected, not in disarray or erratic in any way, just cool and calm. I rolled my eyes. _Hatake Kakashi, no doubt_. I put my hand on my hip as the two of them walked toward us, Sakura's face twisted in a scowl.

"NARUTO, YOU STUPID LITTLE DUFUS! WE'RE LATE FOR OUR MISSION BRIEFING, THANKS TO YOU!" She shouted, punching him square in the jaw, sending him flying. My eyes and head followed Naruto, watching him slam into the side of the wall.

"How're you feeling? Better?" Kakashi asked, and I turned toward him to reply while Sakura proceeded to beat the crap out of Naruto, her fists pounding into his face.

"I'm walking aren't I? But, yeah, I feel a lot better." I replied, rolling my eyes. Kakashi smiled.

"That's good. Did you tell them everything you know about the Akatsuki and Sasuke?" I nodded.

"Everything Sasuke had told me, and what I gathered." I replied. He gave me a skeptical look. I narrowed my eyes.

"I told you, didn't I? I told you I wouldn't try anything, and I meant it. I'm not going to pull any tricks, and I'm _not_ leaving this village. Besides, like I told the three little kids, I like it here. It reminds me of my old home, Kusa." I continued. Kakashi smiled again.

"That's good too. And yes, you did tell me that." He answered. I tossed my head sarcastically.

"Sure as hell I told you. Anyway, you guys are going on a mission already?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. Kakashi nodded.

"Yeah, we're heading out again." He replied. I snorted slightly.

"Getting ready for war, huh?" Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi and the three little kids looked over at me with surprised looks on their faces.

Insight flashed in my mind as I opened my psyche up to them, my mind's eye reading their chakra movements, almost like reading their mind. Worry and concern was written on their brains, not up front, veiled by surprise, and wonder at the extent of my abilities. I smiled.

"I thought so. I have an idea. Let me come with you. I think I'll be of better use out wandering around on a mission, than sitting on my ass doing nothing." I suggested. Sakura gave me a wary, yet slightly confused face.

"But you're not healed up yet. You shouldn't even be outside." She replied, her green eyes hard. I didn't break.

"You're looking for Sasuke, right?" Again with the shocked looks. I smirked, my mind's eye reading them again.

Sakura's was easy, her chakra somber, sad, miserable. Naruto's, normally so bright, had dimmed, almost like something was weighing down on his mind, the burden of bearing it seemed to be too much for his heart to handle, and his spirit had fallen slightly to accommodate the mass of it.

My heart flew out to him, as I remembered Naruto's last words to Sasuke. _Someday, we'll both die in battle._ I shivered. _There's no WAY I'm letting Naruto die in battle with Sasuke. I won't let him do it! _Kakashi's was chillingly sad, measured, level.

It made me cold inside when I turned my mind's eye on the three of them, their emotions moving me to help them. My heart screamed for me to help them bring their lost teammate back to them, no matter what. No pain came from my chest as my heart pounded against my rib cage. I sighed in relief. _I can do this. _Naruto blinked, and nodded once, his blue eyes glowing with the force of his emotions.

"Yeah." He replied. Sakura turned from Naruto, Kakashi, and me, looking at each of the three of us, then settling on me with her green eyes.

"Why do you want to come along?" She asked suspiciously. Kakashi lifted his headband off of his left eye, his Sharingan staring me in the face. No fear flickered through me. None at all. I closed my cherry red eyes.

"I can find him for you. Tell me, do you have any ideas on where he is right now?" I asked, my mind's eye opening wide, my sight range extending, winding through the streets, chakra circuits all around my senses, as my range grew, heading out of the village into the woods.

I lifted my fingers up, clasping them together as my vision blurred, focusing my chakra. Sakura gasped, taking a step toward me, her footstep echoing in my ears, my vision blurring again, too clouded for me to see clearly. _I need something that Sasuke touched…Or else I won't be able to find him…_I opened my eyes, lowering my fingers. I closed my mind's eye, hanging my head sadly.

"Okay, I have something I need to ask you. What were you doing? Your chakra flow sped up, almost like you were focusing it. I didn't catch any hand signs, or nature transformations." Kakashi asked. I turned to him quickly, my red hair falling over my shoulder, as my side bangs slid across the left side of my face, my head swinging almost completely around.

"Wouldn't you like to know. Let me come with you when you go look for Sasuke, and then we'll talk." I replied stubbornly. Sakura tensed up, anger rolling off her.

"Listen up. I don't see how we can trust you, since you were a member of the Akatsuki. Once you prove that we can, then you can come with us, you got me?" Sakura questioned, her voice a low snarl. _No wonder Sasuke left her on a bench in the cold._ Naruto stepped in front of Sakura, his blue eyes probing.

I kept my irises wide open. I had nothing to hide. I wasn't lying, at all. I had no intention of faking them out. I could find Sasuke. I just needed a little push.

"Just tell us. Please." Naruto added. I gulped. Here came the hard part, telling them about my Mind's Eye of Kagura. I sighed, turning to the sun, rubbing my forehead, then dropping my hand at my right side, looking up at the sky.

"I have a special ability called the Mind's Eye of Kagura. I can see the chakra of the person I'm looking at it with my "mind's eye". It's kind of like having a vision. If I had something Sasuke's touched, I could use that to be able to "see" where he is now. It's a lot harder when you don't have something to help you. I call it "a little push"." I explained. Kakashi nodded his head.

"I see. But that doesn't explain something. How did you know what was going on? You were in a cell for the past day. You shouldn't have heard anything." He replied. I turned around, and sighed.

"I can see and read chakra movements with the Mind's Eye of Kagura. I can tell how you're feeling by watching the flickers and flashes of your chakra's movements. Then, by going off of that, I can guess what you're thinking." Naruto's eyes widened, Sakura narrowing hers.

"I still don't trust you." Sakura replied. I shrugged.

"Whatever. It doesn't bother me." I answered lazily, rolling my eyes. Sakura snarled slightly, her teeth snapping together. Kakashi gave her a warning glance. Naruto put his hand on Sakura's shoulder, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I believe you. If you can help me find and stop Sasuke, then, I'd gladly travel with you." He replied. Sakura looked up at him, surprised.

"But, Naruto-" She started. He shook his head to the right, then back.

"Let me handle this, Sakura." He answered, his voice soft. Kakashi looked at Naruto, surprised.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Naruto turned his head to Kakashi, nodding once.

"Yes. I'm sure. Believe it!" He replied, smiling brightly, putting his hands behind his head. The three little kids started laughing, the noise startling me. I guess I'd forgotten that they were there, because I jumped slightly. Sakura smiled.

"Well, if you can help us find Sasuke, I guess I'll trust you, since Naruto is willing to." She added, her green eyes softening. I felt warm inside. Kakashi smiled slightly, his uncovered eye brightening.

"Me too. But if you try anything-" I shook my head quickly.

"Oh, no I won't try a single thing. It's not in my game plan. I'm actually not sure what my plan is anyway…But, regardless, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi…I'm not lying to you. I just want to stop Sasuke, before he gets killed." I replied, looking to each of them in turn. Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi nodded once, Sakura lifting one eyebrow in curiosity.

"You know our names, but what's yours?" She asked, taking a step toward me. I sighed.

"Karin." I replied, lifting my chin a little. Naruto smiled softly.

"Karin, huh? Pretty name." He replied. Warmth flooded through me, almost as if he was aiming to make me feel good about myself. I rubbed one finger at my lip, leaning over to the left, smiling shyly, the skin under my eyes and glasses flushing a slight pink.

"Awww, thanks. Your name's pretty too." I answered, my voice sounding exasperated, and breathless, much to my despair. Sakura lifting her eyebrows curiously.

"How do you spell it?" She asked. I rolled my eyes.

"With the characters for perfume, and phosphorus. I know right? I don't know what the hell my mother was thinking." I replied. Sakura smirked.

"Awesome. I can call you a "stinky little troll" now, since you've obviously got a crush on Naruto." She replied. I jerked my head back, my red side pieces bumping up against my temples, my cheeks flushing pink, my cherry red irises wide.

"Who ever said that? Where'd you get that from? I don't have a crush on Naruto. I just met him yesterday, for crying out loud." I replied, waving my right hand down, bending it at the wrist, and smiling big, trying to look realistic.

To be honest, I wasn't all that sure if I had a crush on him or not. He was cute, blue eyes, a rounded chin, blond hair. But, he was, by all means, one of the ones who'd captured me the day before. I couldn't quite fall for him yet. I had to stay strong. Naruto's eyes focused on me, their luminous blue depths inviting, and calming. They were good medicine, soothing the ache in my heart from Sasuke's betrayal, and disposal of me, how he'd almost killed me with that god damn Chidori. Sakura smirked again, her lip curling up.

"Yeah, sure. Anyway, Kakashi-sensei, why don't you run a request through to Lady Tsunade? If Karin's telling the truth, she'd be a great help to us." She suggested. Naruto's eyes didn't falter.

"She's telling the truth." Naruto responded, everyone turning to look at him. I widened my eyes, shocked.

"Naruto…" Sakura and I breathed at the same time, our voices the exact opposites of each other, one light and feminine, the other on the lower side, but full of emotion. Naruto lifted his chin to me, smiling.

"When can we head out, Karin? Are you ready?" He asked. I widened my eyes behind my glasses in surprise, and lifted my fingers to the right shaft that went behind my right ear, tucking a lock of my red hair behind my ear.

"Um, I'm going to need a few things before we go, Naruto." I replied. Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto lifted their eyebrows expectantly. I sighed.

"Well, what do you need? Food? Rest? Water?" Naruto asked impatiently. I lifted one finger up, and smiled crookedly.

"That too. But, I'll need something that has Sasuke's chakra on it. Otherwise, it'll be like looking into murky water. I can't _see_ him right now, since I don't have anything to look for, or sense." I turned to Sakura, lifting my chin as I spun toward her on one heel.

"Sakura, did you wash that cape you're wearing?" I asked, getting an idea. Sakura shook her head.

"No, not yet. Why do you ask?" She replied. I held my hand out.

"Hand me the cape." I answered. Sakura pulled it off of her back, giving me a confused expression, as she set it in my hand gently.

I clasped my fingers together, Kakashi's Sharingan eye widening, as I closed my eyelids, focusing. My mind's eye opened again, my sight extending, as I breathed in the smell of Sasuke's dark and bitter chakra, wrinkling my nose as it danced across my senses. _Yuck! It smells, tastes, looks, sounds, and feels HORRIBLE! _With the stench of Sasuke's chakra guiding me, I focused harder, my Mind's Eye of Kagura winding through the woods, searching every crevice, faster than the speed of light, now that it was propelled by Sasuke's chakra.

I felt a trace of his chakra brush across the edge of my mind, and I swung the Mind's Eye of Kagura toward it, my line of sight zooming in toward where the faint trace was, the outline of Sasuke's shape appearing right in front of me, apparently inside a room hidden underneath rocks, if my senses were as sharp as I thought them to be. I came back to myself, opening my eyes, everything snapping back to normal, Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto looking at me with eager looks. I gripped the cape tighter in my hand, and smiled.

"Got him. He's in the new Akatsuki Headquarters, not too far from here, I think." I replied, closing my eyes, finding Sasuke again in a flash, taking only a sliver of my concentration. Sakura's eyes brightened, and Naruto sighed, Kakashi smiling softly.

"Thank you, Karin. Can you take us to him, right away?" Sakura asked, practically bouncing on her toes. I nodded my whole head once.

"Yeah. Just let me rest up, alright? It'll take about a day, if that's alright with you guys." I replied, handing Sakura her cape back, closing my mind's eye at the same time. Kakashi nodded, blinking his eyes at the same time.

"Yes, that's fine. I'll have to run it through Lady Tsunade, but, until then, can you keep an eye on his whereabouts?" Kakashi asked. I nodded without hesitation.

"Of course." I answered. Naruto smiled, and my insides warmed up again.

I didn't get it. I didn't get what was happening to me. It was too soon for me to feel love or anything remotely romantic for a guy, let alone the enemy, or rather my _former_ enemy. I flushed, and turned away while hiding my face behind my red hair, which didn't help the situation any, since Kakashi was laughing quietly. I fought back the urge to whirl on him, punch him in the face, and smash his face into the dirt with my right foot, which was tensing up in anticipation. But, he wasn't the enemy right now.

So, his face remained untouched by the dirt under the soles of his shoes. I figured he could consider himself lucky, if anything ran through that blank head of his. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but, Kakashi's eyes, one human, the other mutated by that damn Sharingan, they didn't reveal anything. My Mind's Eye of Kagura couldn't see anything either, just his chakra. I could barely deduct his thoughts just by looking at his chakra movements. Either the man had very good control over himself, or he was as blank an uncarved piece of wood. _That_ was disappointing.

"Well, let me know when you're all ready, Karin. I'll check your wounds first, to make sure you're able to go outside the village before we leave, if Lady Tsunade allows it." Sakura interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to her sharply, nodding my head.

"I will, Sakura. But right now, I'm hungry. Got any suggestions?" I asked. Kakashi and Sakura thought for a second, as we started walking, the three little kids thinking and following us.

Naruto bounced right up to my left side, his chakra hitting me like a ton of bricks, the impact so forceful, so strong, I nearly fell over. I stumbled, Sakura reaching over, bumping my shoulder with her hand to keep me on my feet. I nodded to her in thanks, and she smiled in response. Naruto lifted a finger up in sudden realization.

"I know! How about Ichiraku Ramen? I haven't been there in so long. Besides, I'll treat you, Karin, since you're new to the village and all." He laughed shyly, throwing his hands behind his head, while we were walking, Sakura rolling her eyes, Kakashi giggling while his uncovered eye flashed to Naruto, the Sharingan eye covered.

I lifted an eyebrow. _When did he cover it up? Why not just leave it uncovered? _I rolled my eyes and continued walking, pretending to be oblivious to what Naruto had just said. I knew I couldn't just ignore him. But, he had suggested a sort of date. Did he really think I was pretty enough for him? Sasuke had never treated me like this. Never once. Not even after I had kept him from dying at the risk of dying myself. Never once had he shown interest in me. But, Naruto…I looked over at him, and nodded once.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Seeing as I have nothing better to do, since I'm Konoha's new pet." I teased, Sakura and the three little kids laughing slightly, Kakashi smiling and giggling into his book, his cheekbones curling up in such a way that you could just tell that he was getting in touch with the perverted side that every man has. Naruto cheered.

"Yay! To Ichiraku's!" He exclaimed, and took off running. Sakura rolled her eyes, walking with her fingers pressed to her forehead, as I flattened my hand on my hip, Kakashi giggling away.

"But, I love you! By losing you, I myself am lost…" Kakashi murmured, probably quoting from the book he was reading. Sakura sighed, and shook her head.

"Seriously, Sensei, how many times are you going to read that part a loud? It's all porn, you know." She pointed out. Kakashi looked up from the page with his uncovered eye.

"It's not porn. It's a good piece of literature. It has romance, action, drama, and most of all…Se-" I'd had it. I blew steam from my nose, and pulled my right hand back, my fist snapping forward, hitting Kakashi's book instead of his face, much to my surprise.

"You missed." He replied, looking at me from over the edge of the book. I narrowed my eyes, lowering my fist reluctantly.

"I never miss. You blocked my cross. There's a difference." I shot back, Sakura watching me with an amused expression. Kakashi rolled his uncovered eye lazily, picking up the pace.

"Not in my book." He answered, looking back at me from over his right shoulder, the right corner of his mouth lifted in a sly smile. I tightened my hands into fists, my footsteps getting louder.

"Hatake Kakashi, you are _so_ lucky I'm your prisoner right now, because if I wasn't, I would've completely leveled you by now." I snarled, Sakura giggling. I whirled on her, confused.

"You don't get how dirty what you just said is, do you? That's only going to excite him even more." Sakura explained. I lifted my right hand to my glasses, and lifted them up a little, my face incredulous.

"HUH?" Was my reply, Kakashi and Sakura laughing in response. I stomped my foot, crossing my arms over my chest, and turning away. That only made them laugh harder.

"What's so funny-AGGGGHHHHH!" Naruto asked, then screeching. Sakura, Kakashi and I looked up, and started running toward him quickly, pain flickering in my chest like a dull flame, not enough to stop me, but still managing to slow me down.

Sakura slid to a stop, me following, my feet slipping out from under me. I put my left hand down to stop me from falling on top of the ground, pain flashing in my chest, my teeth snapping together, as I caught my balance, standing up again. Kakashi stopped a little bit neater than I did, having been running a bit slower.

Once I got myself straightened out again, I looked down at Naruto and a black haired girl, who was holding herself over him, shaking violently. _She must like him a lot. _Sakura knelt down, and helped the girl get up, while I crouched down beside Naruto, resting my hands behind his shoulders as he lifted his upper body off of the ground.

"I'm so sorry! Are you alright…Naruto?" The girl asked softly. I looked at her softly, my eyes gentle. I opened my mouth, but Sakura flicked her head to the right, then back again, and I closed my mouth. It wasn't my place, and I knew it. Naruto shook as he sat up, and I let him rest against my left shoulder, my hands resting on the tops of his arms.

"Yeah, Hinata. I'm alright. It was my fault, I ran into you. Don't worry about it." He replied, smiling brightly.

I felt my lips curl up into a gentle smile, suddenly wanting to hold him, let his warm chakra wash over me. I leaned closer to him, just about to lay my chin on his shoulder, when pain flashed in my chest, causing me to pull backwards a little too quickly. I stood up, taking several steps back, holding my left hand close to my heart, looking down at Naruto with a sad expression. Naruto turned and looked back at me, confused.

"Are you alright, Karin?" He asked, and I nodded quickly, no hesitation.

"Yeah, I'm alright Naruto. Don't worry about me." I replied. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"You're acting a bit weird." He answered. I scowled.

"You don't even know me, and you already think you know how I react? BAKA, Naruto. BAKA!" I replied, storming past him for effect.

I didn't care how I did it. I just had to get out of there. _Fast_. I ran down the street, as fast as I could, intent on putting as much distance between me and them, as quickly as I could. My footsteps echoed in my ears, as time slowed down, the sound of the soles of my shoes hitting the dirt path under me becoming sluggish. I turned down an alley, seeing stairs on the left, my lip curling up for two seconds as I flew toward it. Time sped up, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Found ya!" Something slammed into my side, my glasses falling off my face, while the impact sent me flying into the wall.

I was forcefully turned around, my back pressed against the wall, someone's hands gripping my wrists tightly, holding me where I was, my front side touching theirs. I focused my eyes on them, seeing blond hair, closed eyes, Naruto's head rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath. My face flushed at how close we were, nothing there for me to hide behind. My glasses were several feet away from me, and judging by the tightness of the grip on my wrists, and how close Naruto was, I wasn't going to be able to see clearly for a while.

My bangs blew into my eyes, as I stood there, watching Naruto catch his breath, his breathing heavy, and exhausted. He finally lifted his head up, his blue eyes glowing brightly, clouded by the thrill of the chase.

"Why'd you run off like that? Weren't we going to Ichiraku's? You could've just waited three seconds longer." He asked lightly, keeping my wrists against the wall beside my head. I looked from side to side, struggling, although it was futile. I wasn't getting away anytime soon. _Damn it! I should've seen him coming-_ My irises widened. _That's right! I shut my Mind's Eye of Kagura_. I turned back to Naruto, slightly angry.

"I just wanted to be alone, that's all." I replied icily. Naruto blinked in confusion.

"Why?" He asked. I looked down and to the side.

"I don't know." I replied stupidly. Naruto moved his face toward mine so he could look me in the eyes.

"Well, being alone isn't exactly possible in Konoha, Karin." He answered. I smiled weakly, rolling my head at the same time.

"I figured that out when you slammed me into the wall, and knocked my glasses off my face, Naruto." I replied. Naruto squinted, and blinked a few times, the look on his face so stupid and annoying, I wanted to punch him. I just settled for the kinder approach.

"What're you doing?" I snapped, as he looked my face over, his eyes seeing to analyze every inch. Naruto sighed, still looking.

"I'm trying to figure out why you hide behind your glasses. You don't look half bad, Karin." He replied, looking up at me from my chin. I blushed, and smiled shyly.

"Aww, really?" I answered, exasperated and breathless, yet again. He nodded.

"So, do you still want to go to Ichiraku's?" He asked. I nodded my whole head once.

"I said I would, didn't I?" I answered, smiling.

He let go of me, and I walked over to my glasses, putting them back on my face, the world getting so much clearer. Naruto smiled and shook his head slowly. I lifted my eyebrows.

"What?" I asked. He sighed.

"You're hiding behind them again." He answered, lifting his hands up to pull them off my face.

I took a step backwards involuntarily, and shook my head. He grabbed the shafts gently, and lifted them from my face, my "mask" breaking. Or rather being taken from me. I instinctively opened the Mind's Eye of Kagura, my vision getting clearer instantly, much to my satisfaction. Naruto's chakra washed over me again, and I willingly let it flood my veins, flow through them, spread all throughout my body.

Naruto put my glasses into my small supply pouch, lifting the lid up. I looked down, watching him turn his body around my left hip, lifting my arms up, looking down at him over my shoulder. He patted the lid shut, and looked up at me, putting his hands behind his head and smiling.

"Now we can go." He pointed out. I rolled my eyes and head, smiling in exasperation, before following him out of the alley toward the ramen shop.


End file.
